About
Welcome to The Retreat House, your new sanctuary for connecting more deeply with yourself, others and the natural world of Bermuda.
We host a wide range of wellness retreats from September to April every year.
From relaxation to adventure, to discovery and healing, there is a retreat for everybody.
The Retreat House is a space for people to attend retreats. These retreats are hosted either by The Retreat House or by third party retreat leaders. If you want to host your own retreat, get in touch with us via the “contact” page.
Our founder
Our founder, Jessica Burns, is a born and raised island girl hailing from Bermuda. She loves everything outdoors and adventure.
After losing her mother (and best friend) to cancer in November 2023, Jess took time off her desk job in London and went on a surfing retreat in Costa Rica to work through her grief.
“It was really special,” she said. “It was the first time I had ever invested so much in an experience purely for my own joy and did it completely solo.”
Out in nature in one of the most remote corners of the world, helped her feel closer to her mom, Kim Burns.
The experience was so impactful, she decided to move home to Bermuda and set up The Retreat House at the property her mom had been successfully renting as a super host out to tourists for the past decade. She realised that by operating retreats in the off season, she could help increase the occupancy, and this way, it maintained her mothers original dream of renting to tourists in the summer. When the season pivots, Jess goes from a retreat leader to a private tour guide.
About Mama Kim
Kim Burns is our founders late mother, and mama bear to 3 girls. She established the vacation rental 10 years ago, where The Retreat House now operates in the off season of holiday rentals. She did this after a long and successful nursing career in oncology, working with sick kids and adults with cancer before running the hospice in Bermuda. She felt her life purpose was to help those who were terminally ill feel safe and cared for.
“My mom lit up every room she walked in. She was honestly a super woman.” Outside of work, Kim was known for her love of sports, she represented Bermuda playing Volley Ball in the Island Games and came second at the Canadian National Championships for pickleball with her husband and Jess’s dad, Mike.
In July 2021, Kim was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. She fought hard for two years but sadly lost her battle to cancer in November 2023. Her legacy lives on in the retreats we offer for cancer patients, sponsored by P.A.L.S.